Hello, everyone. I'm once again sorry for updating so late. Work has turned my life into a never ending chaos and I've been so exhausted lately trying to catch up with a million things. However, I haven't abandoned this story. As long as there is even one person who's interested in it, I'll continue writing. I hope you'll enjoy chapter 20. It's one of my favorite because it gives you so many new hints and information without actually revealing anything. And there are some new characters here, too.
My dear Bakura, thank you for being so understanding but also reminding me how much you want a new chapter. I promise I'll continue writing. I added some new elements here about Ryou that wasn't in the draft you got (The first paragraph for example.) I think you'll like them.
Kathy, welcome back. I missed you so much. Thank you for all the beautiful drawings. Julia, I hope you continue enjoying this journey.
And I want to thank all the wonderful people who read my chapters. I read some really sweet comments while uploading this and I was so touched!
Chapter 20
Ryou and Yuugi walked in the mansion carrying the white haired boy's things and chatting cheerfully about their university classes. Ryou was an art student who had aced his latest exam by creating a painting of a mermaid singing a ship to its doom. His professors had been so impressed by the painting that they gave him a perfect score on the spot.
The two boys couldn't have taken more than a couple of steps when Joey tackled his brother to the floor. A groan of pain followed this action as Yuugi felt the edges of Ryou's rucksack digging into his ribs. Seriously, people should stop greeting him this way. It was kind of sweet but he wasn't sure his body was happy about it.
"Let me guess…" Yuugi softly started as his brother pulled back and helped him up, "…you didn't immediately find my note."
"I may have turned a bit in my sleep and lost it in the blankets." Joey admitted sheepishly. "You should have woken me up." Then, he turned towards the white haired boy. "Hey, Ryou."
Ryou laughed seeing the exchange between the two brothers and greeted Joey back. The blonde was one of the people the white haired boy really liked, especially because he was so protective of Yuugi. Even though Ryou was an only child, he never felt like one, having the tricolor haired boy in his life.
"Are you kidding me? It took me forever to get out of your grip! Waking you up would be such a pain." Yuugi exclaimed dusting his clothes. "It was unnecessary, too."
"This gives me a sense of deja vu. Didn't you two have a similar conversation on the day we met?" A familiar husky voice was heard from behind the blonde.
Everyone turned towards the staircase and saw the trio of magic users standing there. Atem was the one who had spoken. He still looked tired but he had changed clothes and had brushed his hair. On the other hand, Bakura and Marik looked well rested. Probably they had been able to sleep much better than the crimson eyed boy.
"Who is this?" Bakura snarled taking in Ryou's appearance, and if Yuugi hadn't been looking closely, he'd have missed the look of panic that crossed his face before he could school his expression. "Is this some kind of joke?"
Ryou took a step backwards, his eyes taking in the person who looked so much like him. "My name is Ryou Bakura. I'm Yuugi's friend." He politely introduced himself but it was clear from his posture that he wished to be anywhere but in that place.
"Ryou Bakura…" Marik repeated the name, caught somewhere between amusement and concern. His eyes moved from the new boy to his best friend who was about to snap.
"I guess it's some kind of cosmic joke." Ryou answered Marik's unasked question, his hands fidgeting. "My last name matching that of your friend's first name." He completed his thought, seeing the questioning look Marik gave him. "Yuugi told me your names..."
"A joke!" Bakura interrupted, fast approaching the other white haired boy and stopping only inches away from him.
Bakura took in the doelike chocolate eyes of the boy and the well brushed hair that silkily fell on his shoulders. The boy was slightly shorter than him and full of soft edges. He couldn't be much younger than him, probably the same age as Yuugi. Even though he was really slim, he was clearly not underfed. Bakura didn't want to linger much on the thought but he couldn't deny the fact the boy in front of him was beautiful.
Bakura narrowed his eyes, moving his face close to Ryou's. "I'll ask once again and if I don't like the answer, there'll be hell to pay." Shadows started gathering around him and suddenly the room felt hotter. "So, you'd better think hard before carelessly answering me. Who are you?"
Ryou trembled by Yuugi's side, having the other person so close to him. Everything about him screamed danger. Every part of Ryou wanted to leave the room and return to his own house but he couldn't do it. No. There was someone important there. He couldn't just cave in and let this Bakura intimidate him.
"Bakura!" The younger tricolor haired boy protested, ready to interfere, but Ryou moved faster than him.
His friend's eyes darkened as he raised his right hand and extended it towards the older boy's chest, the tip of his forefinger barely grazing Bakura's shirt. Soft lips moved as Ryou whispered the same words again. "My name is Ryou Bakura. I'm Yuugi's friend. That's all you need to know about me."
A look of horror crossed Bakura's face before a sense of ease had him pull back. At the same time, Ryou let his hand fall down and his eyes lightened once again. Slowly, he took a step back and then moved closer to Yuugi, placing his hand in Yuugi's open one. His best friend looked at him, questioning, but didn't say anything. It was clear that Ryou was all of the sudden tired and scared. The boy was trembling like a leaf and something was telling Yuugi that it wasn't just because of Bakura's threat.
The amethyst eyed boy wasn't sure what had happened. He had seen Ryou touch Bakura. He was sure the younger white haired boy had whispered something to him but he didn't manage to pick up anything but Ryou's name being repeated. There was the faint hint of a tune in the way Ryou had whispered the words. Still, he knew now wasn't the time to ask questions. Not with Atem and Marik coming towards them and Joey having a panicked look. And he had promised Ryou he wouldn't ask him for more than what he could share.
"Let's find your room."
Yuugi didn't allow anyone to protest or stop them. He just grabbed the abandoned rucksack and, still holding Ryou's hand, started walking upstairs. As he'd expected, Joey followed them carrying the white haired boy's backpack. When they reached the guest's wing, Yuugi found a maid and asked her if a room was prepared for Ryou. Indeed, Kaiba had arranged for that. The room that was by Yuugi's was free.
Seto had arranged for Yuugi's room to be one of the most luxurious ones, and the tricolor haired boy knew it. Mokuba had showed him around one of the first times he had visited the mansion years ago. The younger Kaiba had explained that there were two rooms that were reserved for special visitors. Each one of them was placed between two smaller rooms which were reserved for the guests' companions or servants. The mansion had been built under the specifications of their father and after his death, no one had used those rooms. Yuugi was the exception. He had one of those two rooms. The fact that Seto had chosen to use one of those smaller rooms for Ryou instead of Joey or his grandfather had Yuugi wonder if there was a secret meaning there.
"It's a really nice room." Ryou observed, looking around the spacious place. His eyes focused on the huge bed. "I can't wait to test the bed out."
Yuugi laughed softly. "Let's get you settled. Then, we can eat something and maybe sleep for a while. I'm positively famished and exhausted." The other two agreed; Joey was always hungry after all. "Okay, let's make quick work of it."
Soon after they were done, a knock on the door was heard and Ryou opened the door only to be greeted by a smiling Mokuba. The young Kaiba introduced himself to the white haired boy, politely not mentioning how much he resembled Bakura, and invited them to lunch. Everyone was more than happy to follow the young boy who cheerfully chatted with Yuugi about his studies and how he'd often join Seto in Kaiba Corp learning his way around the company. The tricolor haired boy was quite attentive while Joey would make a comment or two about Seto, playfully teasing the young Kaiba, but Ryou was unusually silent, staying close to Yuugi.
When they walked into the dining room, they found the other three boys already there. "Mokuba, do you know where my grandfather is?" Yuugi questioned the boy seeing that the old man wasn't in the room.
"I think he left with Seto in the morning. We can ask Hinata later. He usually knows such things since he's in charge of our safety."
Mokuba said these words with the air of someone who was used to be surrounded by bodyguards and have someone else handle his schedule, but Yuugi knew that the young Kaiba didn't really like this restriction to his freedom even if it was for his own good. Hinata was quite respectful of his boundaries, something that helped a lot, but still, Mokuba couldn't help but sometimes feel like a bird in a luxurious cage.
Making a mental note to find Hinata later, Yuugi pushed Ryou on a seat and motioned for Joey to sit by the boy's side. Then, he took the other side with Mokuba. He hoped that having Ryou sandwiched between him and his brother would help the boy feel better.
It seemed like Yuugi's fears were for nothing since no one tried to start a serious conversation. They exchanged polite questions about how they had slept and if they had eaten any breakfast but nothing of importance was discussed. It was clear that both Atem and Marik wanted to ask about Ryou's presence in the mansion but couldn't find a way to do so without upsetting the young boy any more. Since that would also upset Yuugi, both magic wielders decided to stir clear of that topic. Bakura was exceptionally quiet as he ate his stake which was a surprise on its own. He seemed lost in his own thoughts so his friends thought he was probably thinking of a plan on how to get more information about Ryou without upsetting Yuugi or getting himself kicked out of the mansion.
When all of them were full, Mokuba excused himself saying he still had homework to do since school wasn't over for him yet. Yuugi, Ryou and Joey excused themselves as well. There was still plenty of time for a nap until Kaiba and Solomon Mutou were back. It would be better for them to be well rested. There were still a lot of things that needed explaining and everyone wanted to have a clear head.
"Yuugi," Marik started, standing up as well, "could we talk to you for a moment? Alone?" His deep eyes were pleading. "I swear we won't do anything to upset him." He continued, focusing his words on Joey.
The blonde considered the request for a while and since Yuugi was obviously ready to accept, he shrugged. "We'll be in your room, Yuug'."
Ryou and Joey stopped talking when Yuugi entered his room. Rubbing his eyes, the tricolor haired boy walked towards them and joined them in the bed. He quietly told them that the others simply wanted to check on him and apologize about their behavior the previous night. If anything else was said, Yuugi didn't deem it important enough to share. Like a well-fed cat, he curled between his two precious people and closed his eyes. The message was quite clear. Both Joey and Ryou were to stay there with him. Not that the other two planned to leave to begin with. Satisfied, they also closed their eyes and allowed themselves some moments of calmness.
It was two hours later when slowly they came to. Ryou was the first to wake up. He stretched his numb limbs and left the bed, careful not to disturb the others. He wrinkled his nose at the way his clothes had turned and decided to change. When Yuugi woke up, he found his friend in a different shirt and a pair of grey jeans so he mimicked him and changed, too. Then, together they woke Joey up and followed him to his room. The blonde took quite some time to get dressed. He kept muttering something about how he would be in pajamas all day if he was home. It was quite amusing.
Yuugi realized he never asked Hinata about his grandpa's whereabouts but he figured the old man would return with Seto. He didn't need to worry. Seto would never allow anything bad to happen to his grandpa after all. Yuugi was still unsure about why Seto Kaiba, the great CEO of Kaiba Corporation, who kept saying he wanted nothing to do with magic and all the ancient nonsense, had been involved in this situation, but Solomon Mutou trusted him. Yuugi trusted him as well, at least when it came to their safety.
"Yuugi!" Mokuba's cheerful voice greeted them once again. "I'm done with my homework. I'm finally free!" There was so much joy in the boy's voice that everyone instinctively smiled. "Would you like to play a board game with me? Like we used to?"
There was longing and hope in his voice and Yuugi could never say no to Mokuba. "I'd love to." He turned towards his brother and best friend who also nodded. "Why don't we invite Atem, Marik and Bakura as well? Maybe doing something enjoyable will help us all relax." Hearing Bakura's name, Ryou tried to get himself out of the game but Yuugi wouldn't let him. "You cannot hide from him all the time we're here, Ryou. It's okay. Fluffy isn't so bad."
"F…Fluffy?" Ryou widened his eyes hearing Yuugi's pet name for the older boy. How could Yuugi call that dangerous creature 'Fluffy'?
Yuugi only grinned in response. "Maybe when you two become friends, you could ask him what was the first thing I did when we met." He hadn't exactly told anyone the details of his first encounter with the older boy but now he found it quite amusing.
Ryou was still hesitant but he followed the others to the game room. Mokuba let Yuugi decide the board game as he went to find the other boys. Joey and Ryou had just agreed on a RPG-based board game when everyone else joined them.
"I've been wanting to play this game for a while, but it's more fun with more than 3 people." Yuugi caressed the board game's box, softly. "Its rules are a bit complicated but I'm sure we can keep up with them."
A playful grin appeared on Atem's face as he approached the other tricolor haired boy. "I'm sure we can."
The older tri-color haired boy leaned a bit closer to the boy with the amethyst eyes, pretending he wanted to take a closer look at the game. The idea of playing a game with Yuugi was one that really intrigued Atem. He was a gamer through and through and he wanted to show this side of him to the younger boy.
"Atem's pretty good at games. He always wins." Marik explained, leaning towards Yuugi as the boy gave him the small book with the rules. "I think I get the rules. So, we should choose a main class first and then a secondary, right? I think I'll be a Berserker as my main class. Insane bursts of energy to kill quick and viciously sound like my thing."
"Yuugi's never lost a game either." Ryou said proudly, feeling a bit more relaxed as Marik handed him the little book. "Mine will be a Necromancer. Yuugi, I guess you'll be a mage?" The other boy confirmed it with a nod. "We'll make a good duo. Mages and necromancers often rely on similar tactics."
The others gathered around one of the tables in the big gaming room. Yuugi and Ryou set the game as the others chose their classes and read the rules. In the end, Marik chose Assassin as his secondary class while Ryou went for Cleric. After a bit of contemplation, Yuugi's second class was the Enchanter that gained him a smile from the group. Atem chose to be a Maze and a Warrior while Bakura went for Necromancer and Rogue. Joey went straight for physical strength choosing to be a Soldier and Hunter. It took Mokuba quite some time to choose what he wanted to be but he ended up as a Ranger and Summoner.
The cards were dealt and they all started from their respective areas. Even though the game wasn't technically a team versus team type of game, they were allowed and encouraged to create groups so naturally Ryou and Joey gravitated towards Yuugi while Bakura and Marik joined Atem's team. Wanting to keep a balance, Mokuba decided to be part of both teams, being under their protection and out of immediate danger.
At first glance, Atem's team seemed to be winning but Yuugi hadn't played his best cards yet. Cleverly attacking here and there, he kept testing Atem's defenses. Soon, the crimson eyed boy had to cut his losses and sacrifice one of his friends in order to keep one of his central areas. He could no longer offer his protection to Marik who had to take Yuugi's full blast.
"You seem to be really well read and familiar with dark magic." Bakura softly whispered, looking at the card Ryou had used to take away Marik's remaining points after Yuugi had cleared the way for him.
"I've been interested in magic of all kinds, especially necromancy from a very young age." The other boy admitted, carefully stacking the discarded cards together and drawing a new one to add to his hand. "It's more of a hobby, though."
"Oh, so you don't practice it?" The older white haired boy leaned forward as if he was trying to share a secret with his younger look-alike. "Are you sure?"
Ryou felt the danger a prey felt when meeting a predator. "Magic doesn't exist." He awkwardly laughed at Bakura's comment and tried to focus on his cards, but his hand was shaking.
He shouldn't have underestimated the older boy. He should have seen that the quiet and accepting ways he showed during the game were nothing but a trap to lure him into safety.
"You know… you're a lousy liar."
The words were spoken so softly that Ryou almost missed them. Before he could ask the boy what he had said, he felt a hand grabbing him by his shirt and pulling him up. Chaos erupted around him as everyone left their seats; cards flying everywhere.
"Bakura, what are you doing?!" Marik and Yuugi shouted at the same time Joey made a move to grab the older white haired boy who was grinning like a madman.
Suddenly, a mist of darkness surrounded everyone, pinning them to their spot. Yuugi found that it was quite hard moving even his hand. It was as if gravity had somehow changed and his body was really heavy. By his side, he could see Mokuba's and Joey's bewildered looks as they also fought to free themselves. On the other hand, Atem and Marik seemed almost unaffected. Ryou being right in front of Bakura also seemed not to be touched by what must have been Bakura's magic.
"Let him go!" Yuugi shouted, struggling even more to be freed. Somehow he managed to take a step forward but it wasn't enough.
"Your little friend here did something to me and I don't like it! What kind of mind trick was that?" Bakura yelled, pushing Ryou. "What are you?" he spat the words. His dark brown eyes were wild and dangerous.
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Ryou screeched, terrified. His own eyes were wide and his body was trembling. How could he escape this situation? Yuugi was too close. Way too close. If only he could grab him and make a run for it. But even if he could somehow escape Bakura, Ryou wasn't sure he could fight the other's shadow magic and free Yuugi.
"Bakura.'" Atem's voice was a low warning as Marik tried to pull their friend away from the younger white haired boy. "Stop right now."
Atem wished he could use his own magic to free the others but he wasn't sure how. There was a great possibility he would mess things even more. Not that there was much hope to salvage things after what Bakura had done. They had apologized to Yuugi only some hours ago and now they were once again digging a deep hole for themselves. Attacking Ryou in front of everyone…What was Bakura thinking?
Bakura turned towards Marik and showed him his sharp teeth as the other boy's hand made contact with his shoulder. "He didn't mess with your head, oh your mighty highness." Sarcasm dripped from his voice as he addressed Atem. "I won't stop just so you two can look all nice in front of your little darling. I'm done with whatever Kaiba is planning."
"Leave me alone!" Ryou screamed, trying to move away from Bakura.
Quickly, he ducked to the side, trying to reach Yuugi, but Bakura was faster. The young hacker once again grabbed the younger boy from his shirt and forcefully pushed him towards the wall. Ryou's back made contact with the wall so hard that momentarily the boy lost his breath. He whined in pain and bit his lip hard, tears slowly appearing at the edge of his eyes. Still, when he looked at the threat in front of him, his eyes held the fire of defiance.
"So, the past is repeated." He whispered, his breath coming out fast as if he had run a marathon. "You were this way back in Egypt, too. Hurting others before they could hurt you."
Bakura's eyes widened, a hint of fear in them that he quickly tried to suppress. How could this boy know about Egypt and his past self? Who was he? Most importantly, why did Bakura dislike the way he hurt him? He didn't really want to hurt the other boy but he needed answers. He wanted to be in control of his life and his destiny. Whatever game Kaiba was playing, he didn't want to be part of it. Maybe Atem was right. Maybe they should have left.
"What did you say?" Effectively, he trapped Ryou between his extended arms, his breath coming out fast as well. "What do you know about my past?" His eyes were wild. "Talk, damn you!"
"Why do you always ruin everything?!" Ryou screamed back, tears falling down his face. "I need to protect him!"
Rays of silver light wrapped themselves around Bakura's body and pulled him away from Ryou before the older white haired boy could even react to what Ryou had told him. The room was cold, so cold, as Bakura's body made contact with the floor, his back and rear receiving most of the impact.
"I told you to let him go." A voice so soft that it was barely louder than a whisper was heard as a person passed by him, walking towards Ryou. A faint silver shadow seemed to follow the person.
Fighting to catch his breath, Bakura stood up, his legs trembling. Those damn rays were still wrapped around him, keeping him still but not hurting him. "Yuugi?!" His eyes widened as he recognized the boy in front of him.
The boy turned to face him and everyone gasped. Amethyst eyes had turned into a silvery grey that glowed with power but seemed to be in a daze. Was Yuugi even in control? "Don't ever touch him again without his permission."
Yuugi's voice held a hint of anger as his strange eyes focused on Bakura. There was something in the way the light fell on them and the shadow surrounding his body that made the white haired boy think of the moon. So beautiful. So mysterious.
"The hell!" Bakura fought against his bounds, finding he could get out of them if he used a bit of his dark magic. His mind half registered how his magic seemed to feed from the magical bonds because the fight had left him feeling way too tired. "What's happening to you?"
But Yuugi no longer had his eyes on him. It was as if Bakura didn't exist anymore. Instead, he softly touched Ryou and opened his arms for him. Ryou instantly walked to him, holding on his shirt, whispering apologies that didn't really reach Yuugi. The devastated boy couldn't believe how things had turned so wrong. Why had Kaiba brought him there? How could they reverse what had happened?
"It's okay, Ryou. It's okay." Yuugi's soothing voice called his name, as he rubbed circles on the boy's back.
The silver light around Yuugi kept growing stronger as the boy's movements became more lethargic but Ryou was suddenly full of energy. As his friend's eyes started closing, Ryou moved fast and caught Yuugi's lifeless body at the same time the door to the game room opened.
"Now now…that's quite a scene to be greeted with." A new voice had everyone turn their eyes to the newcomers, quickly dismissing everyone but the owner of the voice. "I guess I was right when I insisted I had to return to Japan." Grinning with a dangerous smile on his face was a young Egyptian boy with beautiful iris eyes and papyrus colored hair, playing with what seemed to be a long knife. "So, who earned a dance with my knife by hurting my boyfriend?"
Ryou, darling, is that you? What's happening there? And what happened there with Yuugi? The plot thickens. Bakura just couldn't let it go! And who is that new person who claims to be someone's boyfriend? Ryou's or Yuugi's boyfriend?